More than 400 students from 21 universities joined PayHack 2025, Malaysia’s largest intervarsity hackathon by Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet).
Organised through the PayNet Akar initiative with Ant International and supported by Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), the hackathon began in June with over 90 team submissions.
After preliminary and semifinal rounds, 17 finalists gathered at Xsolla Curine Academy in KL Eco City on 2 and 3 August for a 48-hour sprint to build working prototypes.
The winning team, RoadTo20K from Universiti Malaya, took the top prize with BizKuKu, a digital platform designed to help small businesses with low digital literacy handle registration, payments, and marketplace integration.
It also offers financial insights and AI-driven funding recommendations.
Second place went to Roti CanAI from APU, followed by Pineapple Donkey from Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, Da House from APU, and TapirPay from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Special awards went to X-Chain from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and PEPE from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
A total of RM55,000 in prizes was awarded, with RM20,000 for the champions.
Judges included leaders from PayNet, Ant International, Setel Ventures, the Fintech Association of Malaysia, and the Malaysian Business Angel Network.
“PayHack is more than a competition. It’s a platform for young innovators to reimagine what’s possible and to lead with purpose, collaboration, and creativity.
Through PayHack, we’re nurturing the next generation of changemakers who will shape the future of payments with innovation, integrity, and impact.”
said Shafenaz Farouk, PayNet’s Chief People Officer.
